1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to locking security arrangements, and more particularly to arrangements for lockably securing valuable items such as electronic equipment to a mounting bracket therefor.
2. History of the Prior Art
It is frequently necessary or desirable that pieces of equipment such as valuable electronic equipment be secured so as to prevent theft or other unauthorized removal thereof. At the same time, provision must be made for the authorized removal of such equipment to provide, for example, for servicing of the equipment.
Expensive marine electronic equipment is one example of equipment which is desirably secured by a lock. Boat break-ins and the accompanying thefts of such equipment suggests that such equipment be secured by locking whenever possible. At the same time, the equipment must be capable of authorized removal from the boat, such as for servicing.
Typically, marine electronic equipment is mounted within the boat's cabin using a bracket secured to a horizontal, vertical or overhead surface of the cabin and having an opposite pair of upstanding legs. The electronic component is releasably secured to the legs such as through use of wing screws inserted through apertures in the legs and then screwed into mating threaded apertures in the sides of the housing of the electronic component. The wing screws are easily removed to permit removal of the electronic component from the bracket mount therefor, such as for servicing or replacement of the component. However, a thief who breaks into the boat can just as easily remove the electronic component in order to steal it.
As a consequence various arrangements have been devised for securing valuable electronic components in a manner which locks the components to discourage or prevent theft while at the same time being receptive to a key or other coded device to permit authorized removal of the component. U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,446 of Francis describes an arrangement utilizing a key operated lock and a hollow locking member to secure an electronic component to the arm of a mounting bracket. Unfortunately, the key-operated lock only serves to secure the locking member to the bracket arm to prevent access to a separate thumb screw which is still required to secure the bracket arm to the electronic component. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,979 of Dawson a stud assembly is inserted through an aperture in a mounting bracket arm and into a mating threaded aperture in an electronic component to secure the component to the bracket arm. A separate collar surrounds the disk forming the head of the stud assembly, requiring use of a special tool member to remove the stud assembly from the electronic component. Arrangements requiring the use of such a tool member have proven to be of limited practicality in view of the expensive and cumbersome nature of such tool members when compared with the simplicity of devices such as an ordinary key. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,978 of Ivey an arrangement which includes a rod member and a lock functions to secure an electronic component. However, such arrangement serves only to lock the component, and separate apparatus is required for mounting the component. Other patents which are of interest but which do not describe arrangements providing practical or workable solutions to the problem of releasably securing items such as electronic components include U.S. Pat. No. 1,025,724 of Snyder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,338 of Raskin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,202 of Parsekian, U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,247 of Zoor and U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,848 of Rose.